Théoule-sur-Mer is a little town squeezed between the red rocks of the Esterel and the sea, and it looks like a painting from the early days of the French Riviera. The houses are pink and ochre, the harbour is small and crowded with boats, and the hills behind are covered with pines and cork oaks. A fortified château with round towers, dating from the fourteenth century and now used as the town hall, stands near the shore, and the old fishing quarter has narrow streets and small terraces. The population is only about thirteen hundred, though it swells in summer.
Just along the coast lies La Napoule, with a castle that was a ruin until 1918, when an American sculptor, Henry Clews, and his wife bought it and rebuilt it as a home and studio, filling it with his strange, brooding sculptures. It is now an arts foundation and open to visitors. Inland, the hills of the Tanneron are covered in mimosa trees, which flower bright yellow in January and February, and there is a mimosa route that runs through the forest in the depths of winter when the rest of Europe is grey.
At the end of the Corniche d'Or, the road changes character, passing from the wild Esterel into the busier coast of Cannes and Mandelieu. The final stretch is a sequence of bends and viewpoints, with small bays below where the water is clear enough to see the rocks on the bottom. Riders should be wary of tourists stepping out between parked cars, and the occasional scooter overtaking on the inside. Parking in summer is very difficult, so arrive early.
Théoule itself has a few shops, bakeries and cafés, but for fuel and larger stores, Mandelieu-la-Napoule, about four kilometres away, is the better bet. The beaches are small, rocky and lovely, and the sea is warm from July to September. The Esterel can burn in dry summers, so respect fire warnings and closures. The best time to be here is May or late September, when the weather is warm, the crowds are thin and the light on the red rocks is at its best. Order grilled sea bream, and watch the sun go down behind the headland.